Motor-vehicle transmission mechanism



Jan. 3, l1,928.

E. C. WASHBURN MOTR VEHICLE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Filed Nov. 24. 1920 Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

EDWIN C. WASHBURN, OF ENGLEWOOD, NEVI JERSEY.

MOTOR-VEHICLE TRANSMISSION MECHANISM.'

Application led November 24, 1920.

This vinvention relate-s to a motor vehicle transmission mechanism, and particularly to a transmission mechanism adapted to be applied t such vehicles as street railway, or other railway cars which carry their propelling motors. Owing to the motion of the various parts of such a vehicle, it has heretofore been diiiicult to provide the same with the direct and positive transmission extendl0 ing from the motor to the driven wheels.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a direct drive which is positively driven and connected and which extends from the motor to the driven wheels.

Thisl and other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description made in connection with .the accompanyingv drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section,of the side frame and wheelsV of a vehicle having the novel drive mechanism applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top sectional plan of Fig. 1 taken approximately on the line 2-25 and Fig. 3 is a partial view in side elevation of the bolster.

Referring to the drawings, the side frame of a vehicle, such as a street railway car,-is illustrated at a, which receives at its end the bearing boxes of the wheels Z?. The said wheels are adapted to be secured to and driven by the axles 1. These axles are disposed in hushed bearings 2 which bearings will be either entirely supported by the axlesV and shafts connected therewith, or may be also suitably supported by attachment to some convenient part of the car. The side frames a are provided with the usual bolster columns and guides 3 and a bolster c is illustrated, the central part of which, as shown, is constructed as a gear or transmission housing. yThe lower part of this-bolster is formed as an'openended substantially rectangularbox member which has formed at opposite sides thereof aligned bearings f1 suitably bushed to receive oppositely extending shaft 5,. VThese bearings are aligned with bearings formed in the adjacent sides of the members 2 which are also suitably bushed to receive a pair of shafts 6. The shafts 5 and 6 are connected between the bolster andthe axles byuniversal joints T. This joint comprises amember 8 formed `with a pairv of somewhat elliptical sockets into which extend more vor less loose- Serial No. 426,291.

ends of these shafts will be so formed that they can roch longitudinally in the member 8, and yet will turn the same upon rotation. The member 8 is surrounded by oppositely disposed sleeve members 9 which have open-ended chambers therein extending over the ends of member 8 and from which chambers suitable bores extend to accommodate the shafts 5 and G. Members 9 are provided with slight flanges or collars between which they carry and are enclosed by a member 10a made of some soft or fiex'ble material. lVhile a particular'universal joint has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that any efficient type of universal joint may be used to connect the shafts 5 and 6. The shafts 6V carry beveled pinions 10 at the ends thereof arranged to mesh with gears 11whieh are rigidly secured to the axles 1. The shafts carry beveled gears 12 at the ends thereof,

which extend into the bolster box, and these gears are arranged to mesh with a pinion 13 which is carried by and rigidly secured to a vertical shaft 1-1. Shaft 14 is shouldered and suitably supported in a bushed bearing in the bottom of the bolster box and extends upwardly through another bushed bearing into the top section c of the bolster, which section 3' s provided with flanges adapted to engage withand be secured to corresponding fianges on the bolster box. This upper section of the bolster has a cylindrical chamber immediately above the bushed bearing therein, which chamber is adapted to receive a joiningcollar 15 into which the shaft 11i projects, and with which the said shaft is splined, or otherwise secured to permit of longitudinal movement therein, but which will be driven by rotation of said shaft. The upper section of the bolster is also provided on its upper side with an up- Astanding cylindrical flange forming a chamber into which is slidably fitted a cylinder formed by acircular flange depending from a `gear housing 16 having a cap -portion 16l bolted' thereto. This gear housing 16 is generally of the shape of a square box and 'has disposed centrally in its lower side a ly, formed ends on the shafts 5 and rtl. The

bushed bearing through which extends a shaft 17, the lowerend of which is also disposed in the joining collar 15 in a manner similar to the shaft 14. The upper end of the shaft 17 is arranged to turn in a bushed bearing-'in the top of the housing 1G. This shaft 17 carries a beveled gear 1S arranged to mesh with another gear 19 carried on a horizontal shaft 20 which extends through a suitable bushed bearing carried by one side of the gear housing 16. rllhe shaft 2O is adapted to be connectedk to the motor or iotor shaft of the vehicle. The motor may be disposed in the velrcle or car or in a sub floor or frame connected therewith.

vit is designed to be used.

The abovel described structure will be seen to be quite flexible. 1t will be noted that limited vertical motion of the shaft 2O and gear housing 16 is permitted by the mounting of said housing in the top of the bolster and by the arrangement of shaft 17 in the collar 15. rlhe shaft 20 and housing 16 are also capable of common rotation. Owing to the universal joint 7, the bolster may have considerable vertical movement without interfering with the driving of gears 1Q and 'llheaxles l can, likewise, have con siderable vertical movement without interfering with the action ot' the driving gears.

The drive from the motoil shaft to the axles -will be readily seen. The rotation of ythe motor shaft 2O is communicated to shaft '17 through the gears 18 and 19. This rotation is communicated to shaft 1a through the collar 15. The shaft 1f-l drives the gears 12 in opposite directions through. the gears 137 which, in turn, drive the shafts 5 which are connected by the universal joints to drive rthe shafts 6. The shafts 6, in turn7 ldrive the pinions 10 anl the axles are thus driven by the gears 11,v which are in mesh with said pinions. By the described arrangement, the axles are, of course, both driven in one direction. The described flexibility is of great utility and advantage in the cars with which the wheels in passing over rail joints and from other causes, is readily taken care of and the various vibratory and swinging motions of the car parts which itis impossible to eliminate, are also taken care of and permitted without seriouslyv affecting the parts of the transmission or interfering with the i operation thereof.` The different positions asmentof the device may sinned by the car parts under various loads,V are also permitted-*land the parts of the transmission mechanism achust themselves to this position without any disadvantageous results.

It will7 of course, be understood that various changes inthe details and arrangepartingV i vention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and 'described vand setforth yin the appended claims.-

What is claimed is:

l1. The combination with the two wheeled axles of a car truck, a pair of flexible substantially vhorizontal shafts disposedtherebetweenand being geared to said axles at. one end, a vertical driving sha-ft, a bevel The elevation of be made without defrom the scope of applicants iii-V gear on the lower end of said vertical shaft, bevel gears on the adjacent ends of said horizontal shafts meshing directly with said bevel gear7 and a substantially horizontal motor-driven shaft geared to the upper end of said vertical shaft. Y

2. The combination with the two axles of a car truck. of a pair of substantially horizontal flexible shafts being geared at their outer ends to saidaxles, a substantially vertical shaft to which the inner ends of the horizontal shafts are geared near its lower end, a substantially horizontal motor shaft geared to said if'erticalshaft near the upper end lof the latter, a bearing for supporting said motor shaft and said vertical shaft arl ranged for vertical movement and said verticalshaft being iii sections wherebyveitical movement of the said bearing and motor shaft is permitted.

5%. A motor 'vehicle transmission having in Vcombinatio-fi7 spaced car axles, beveled gears thereon, apair of alined shafts between the axles, beveled gears lat the remote ends of said shafts secured thereto and meshing with the gears on said axles7 beveled gears secured to the adjacent'ends of said shafts, a vertical suaft disposed between said shafts and comprising sections relatively longitudinally movable, a gear on said vertical shaft meshing with said last mentioned gears, and a motor shaftugeared to said vertical shaft.

A motor vehicle transini ssion mech anisin having in combination a car axle, a beveled gear thereon, a flexible horizontal shaft having a gear at one end meshing with said beveled gear, a rigid bearing enclosing said gears through which the axle and said horizontal shaft extend, a beveled gear at the other endV of said flexible shaft, a two part substantially verticalr shaft having a beveled gear yat its lower portion meshing with said latter gear, abolster bearing through which the horizontal shaft andthe lower end of the vertical shaft extend, said bearing having a cylindrical socket at its upper portion, a substantially'horizontal motor shaft, a gear near the upper end of said vertical shaft and a gear on the end of the motor shaft 'meshing therewith, a rigid bearing through which the .upper end of the vertical shaft and the motor shaftfextend'having a depending cylindrical sleeve disposed in the cylindrical pocket on said bolster bearing,

"and a shaft coupling connecting the tivo parts ofsaid' vertical shaft whereby vertical movement of the motor shaft in its bearing and driving gears is permitted.

Y, 5. The combination with the two axles of a car'truck, of gears secured to said axles,

two pairs of horizontal shafts between said axles, al gear at the outer shaft of each pair meshing Vwith the gears on said axle7 gear boxes surrounding said gears and providino` bearings for said axles and shafts, universe couplings connecting the shafts of each pair, gears on the ends of the inner shafts of each pair, a motor driven vertical shaft having a gear at its lower portion meshing with each of said last mentioned gears, and a car housing carried by the truck bolster inclosing said last mentioned gears and providing bearings for the shafts thereof.

6. The combinat-ion with the two axles of a car truck, of gears carried thereby, a pair of iexible substantially horizontal shafts extending inwardly from said axles, gears on the outer end of said sha'ts meshing with the gears on the axles, a gear housing formed in the bolster between said axles and providing bearings for a vertical shaftand the inner ends of said horizontal shafts, gears on the inner end of said horizontal shafts and a gear meshing therewith at the lower portion of said vertical shaft, said gears being enclosed by the said housing` a gear housing above said bolster housing and arranged for vertical sliding movement therein, a substantially horizontal motor shaft, and a second vertical shaft in alignment with said first mentioned vertical shaft having bearings in said gear housing, a gear on the end of said motor driven shaft meshing with the gear at the upper portion of said last mentioned vertical shaft and a shaft coupling' carried in said bolster housing for coupling the ends of said vertical shafts to permit longitudinal movement thereof.

7. A motor vehicle transmission mechanism having in combination a substantially horizontal motor shaft, a substantially vertical shaft driven by beveled gears from said motor shaft, a pair of substantially horizontal shafts driven by a beveled gear from said vertical shaft, a pair of car axles driven by beveled gears from said horizontal shafts, and bearings for all of said shafts so constructed and arranged that vertical movement of the axles, vertical shaft and horizontal shaft are permitted without disengagement of said beveled gears.

8. A motor vehicle transmission mechanism having a motor shaft, a driven shaft positively geared thereto, a pair of intermediate driven shafts positively driven by said driven shaft, said intermediate shafts being positively geared to the axles of said vehicle, said parts being constructed and arranged to permit vertical movement of the axles and the motor shaft without disarrangement of said gearing.

9. A motor vehicle transmission having in combination, spaced oar axles, beveled gears thereon, a pair of alined substantially horizontal flexible shafts between said axles and geared thereto at their remote ends, a flexible vertical shaft geared to the adjacent ends of said horizontal shafts, and a motor shaft geared to said vertical shaft.

l0. The combination with the two axles 0f -a car truck having a rigid frame, of shafts EDWIN C. IVASHBURN. 

